


So That the World Might be Mended

by GoesOnGhost



Category: Demon's Souls
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Deviates From Canon, F/F, Falling In Love, Healing from trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-08 23:34:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12875439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoesOnGhost/pseuds/GoesOnGhost
Summary: The Slayer of Demons rescues Yuria and the two grow closer over the course of the former's journey through Boletaria.





	1. Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've ever written because I decided the Demon's Souls section here needed some femslash.

"Have you brutes no mercy? What more do you want with me?" Yuria sobbed as she saw a new figure wearing that dreaded Official's cap that all her tormentors wore. They had left her alone for the past few days (at least she thinks it was a few days) but clearly a new member has joined their ilk and was here to get her turn with her. The official quickly knocked her hat off to the side and snuck closer with a finger to her lips.

“Ssssh. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m not here to hurt you.” She pointed down to the shackles binding Yuria’s wrists; what was left of them at least. "Do you know where the key to these are? I cleared a safe route for us outside but that means nothing if you’re still chained up here”.

"Safe route?" Yuria replied dumbly. "You mean you…You're here to… _Save_ me?" Her voice cracking as the realization hits her.

The stranger gently shooshed her once more. Yuria took a breath, trying to steady herself, “N-No. They've never taken these off since they put them on. To tell you the truth, I doubt the key's even in this tower anymore”.

"I see" the stranger whispered, clearly hoping for a better answer. "Let me see if there's another way to break you out" She ran her fingers across the chain up to the wall it was connected to and then ran them back until she reached roughly half way down.

"Ah! This one link looks weak enough to break. See the divet?" Yuria looked at her outstretched hand and, sure enough, the rusted little thing had a sharp chip in it. _Has that always been there? When was the last time I even looked at this thing?_

"Now," the stranger remarked as she unfastened the axe off her back. "There's something i need you to do"

"W-what? What do i need to do?"

"Move as far away from the wall as you can; it'll be easier to cut the chain with it taut"

Yuria shifted away from the wall until the shackles were cutting into her wrists. She couldn't remember the last time she yanked on this chain so desperately, but the pain was still familiar. The stranger hoisted the axe over her head and made a couple experimental motions towards the chain, trying to position herself just right. Finally, she looked to Yuria:

"Ready?"

_No._

Yuria gave a small nod and braced herself. The axe came down in a swift, fluid motion and smashed the chain into the ground, giving a sharp tug that cut into Yuria's wrists.

"Are you alright?"

Yuria gave another tight nod. Though, her grimace betrayed otherwise. Still, actual concern over well being was a welcome change. The stranger knelt down and inspected the chain. Not a clean cut, but she did break one side of the link. She unhooked the following link and just like that Yuria was freed from the wall.

"I’m afraid we can’t do anything about those shackles until we get to the Nexus, but at least we can get out of this tower now"

Yuria stared at the broken chain, wondering. _Is this it? All i have to do is follow this woman and I'll be...free?_ It was everything she could of ever hoped for. And that was just the problem. Why now? This was all too good to be true and it came out of nowhere. _Heavens, I don't even know if this woman is telling the truth._ As Yuria grappled with all of this, the stranger gathered the chain together into her hands and shyly offered it to her.

“Could you, um, hold on to this? I don’t want it to drag on the floor or get caught on anything and, well…if I held onto it myself it would kind of look like....a leash. An- and besides, i need to keep my hands free in case we run into trouble. So if you...could..."

Hearing this previously confident stranger stumble over this request was strangely endearing; so unrehearsed and genuine. It helped alleviate some of Yuria's anxiety; just enough to give her the final push to make her decision.

"Of course."

She took the cold, wadded up chain into her hands and, with some help, got to her feet...only to fall right back down. The stranger caught her in time.

"Woah there. Easy."

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

The stranger helped her up once more, slower this time, and Yuria managed to stay on her feet. Hopefully, the walk back wouldn’t be too far. She doubted she could stay upright for very long. As ready as she'd ever be, she just needed to know one more thing:

"What’s your name?"

The stranger blinked in response, seemingly surprised at the question and Yuria hoped she hadn’t crossed a line.

"Reah."

"Yuria."

With that, she followed the former stranger and trusted that she'd guide her out of this awful tower.


	2. The Nexus

"What in blazes have you been up to?"

Boldwin asked as he stared at the sight of Yuria before him. Reah pinched the bridge of her her nose in exasperation; this was far from the first time she's received questioning looks and comments from someone since she and Yuria entered the Nexus. She couldn't exactly blame people's confusion. Escorting a bound woman in Yuria's condition was certainly...awkward to say the least. It surprised Boldwin enough to break him out of his concentration in forging.

"Boldwin, please, is there anyway you get these shackles off of her?"

"Do you expect me to smash her wrists?” He chuckled. “'Cause, without the key, that's the only way they’re coming off."

Reah groaned and rubbed her eyes. This epic rescue of hers was getting more embarrassing with each stage. Yes, what matters is that they escaped relatively unharmed, but to go through all that, reach the Nexus, and still be unable to truly free Yuria from her bindings was pathetic. She couldn't help but feel a bit inept and she could only imagine how mortified Yuria felt with all this attention on her. She hadn't said a thing since they entered the Nexus; she simply followed Reah as best she could, sat on the step of the staircase next to Boldwin's workshop, and mostly fiddled with the chain ball she's been dutifully carrying since she was first asked.

"There's really _nothing_ you can do?" Reah knew he had no reason to lie to her. But, maybe if she kept pushing he'd remember something?

"Not without bringing harm to her, no." Boldwin answered firmly.

 _I failed_. She looked to Yuria who was still staring at the chain, looking very tense. She chanced a gentle touch to her shoulder. Yuria immediately shook her off with a start and Reah retracted her hand like it had been burned.

_Way to go, Reah. That didn't make her feel better at all._

“Y-yes?” Yuria asked nervously. "W-what do you need?"

 _Dammit. I was trying to be comforting not get your attention._ She needed to give an answer, quickly.

"Did. Did you hear Boldwin?" was all she could come up with.

"No." Yuria looked down in shame. "I’m so sorry. I should have been paying attention."

_How are you making this worse?? Just stop talking!_

"No! Don’t worry! He just said that there's nothing he can do about the shackles. I’m….I’m sorry."

She felt awful. She promised that she’d remove the shackles once they arrived and she broke that promise. She felt too ashamed to even look at Yuria now.

"You’ve-"

"Excuse me, Miss?" Yuria got cut off before she really began; so soon that Reah didn't even hear her. Reah turned to Stockpile Thomas, who was stationed close enough to Boldwin that he apparently heard everything. "If I could offer a suggestion. Have you considered lock picking?"

"No. I don’t know how." Reah raised her eyebrow. "Do you?"

"I’m afraid not. But all manner of travelers have dropped off wares in my care. I can keep my eye out for someone who's skilled in that sort of thing."

_Skilled in that sort of thing...I’ve met all sorts of people out in Boletaria. Could I know someone who might know something about….wait._

Reah took a deep breath and let it seep out through her teeth. There _was_ someone who knew a thing or two about breaking into things and stealing. And, god help her, he’s one of the last people she wanted to talk to and absolutely the last person she would trust with a situation like this. But, he’s the only one who frequented the Nexus enough that she’d likely find him quickly. _I just have to make it very clear what will happen to him if he acts out of line. As for now…_

"Thomas." She signaled him closer. "Could you keep an eye on her while I go look for someone. I think I know just the person who can help us."

"Where are you going?!" It was Yuria’s turn to cut Thomas off.

"I….I just need to search for someone who can pick the locks on the shackles. I promise it won't take long."

"Can’t I come with you?"

Reah was a bit taken aback; she hadn’t expected Yuria to react so strongly to such a small parting. In truth, it would probably make things go smoother if she did accompany her, fewer things to explain. Plus, even if that weren’t that case, she certainly couldn’t turn her down now. It’s the first time she’s been so vocal over something she wanted.

"If you want come along I won't stop you. But, can you make the walk?"

Yuria nodded but Reah wasn't convinced. They had to stop frequently on their way to the Nexus due to Yuria's poor health and she doubted she was up for the uphill climb of these stairs.

"Then let's head off right now."

Yuria got up from her spot and followed her. And, sure enough, she could only make it about halfway up the stairs before her legs gave out.

_Called it._

"I was worried this would be the case." Reah sighed. She could think of one way for them to press on, but she wasn't sure if Yuria would like it. "Let me help you." She pulled Yuria's arm over her shoulder while placing her own hand on her hip.

"Will this be okay?" she asked. If a touch to the shoulder was enough to spook her earlier then she could only imagine what prolonged contact in a somewhat intimate position such as this would do to her. She awaited Yuria's answer before moving on, ready to let her go as soon as she wished it.

"Yes. This is- this is fine."

Reah didn't really believe her but decided that it would be better to just hurry on so she could put Yuria down as soon as possible. For her sake as much as Yuria's as something in the fabric of her clothing was making her itch.

 

-

 

"Well, I’ve not seen you of late! And you brought a friend! C’mon then! Have a look at my stock. Just added a bunch of new-"

"Patches. Save it." Reah replied flatly.

"Now, no need to be so rude. You and I are friends aren’t we?"

"Friends?" Yuria asked.

"Why we’re the best of friends. One of many, in fact. She’s just got loads of them. You look like a new friend yourself. Who might you be?"

Before Yuria could respond, Reah put her free hand up as if to ward Patches away.

"Listen, buddy, she’s the reason why I’m even talking to you in the first place. Do you see the shackles around her wrists?"

"Well of course I see them, and listen, none of my business. Whatever you two are into, won’t get any judgment from me."

"Patches!" Reah was red now, and Yuria looked just as embarrassed. "Just. Do you have any tools you can use to free her from these things?"

"Lost the key, have you? These things happen." He chuckled "I think I might have some I could part with for a reasonable price. I’ll even add a discount just cause it’s you."

"No. I don’t want to buy them. I want you to free her. Just a one time thing. And before you ask, I will still pay you."

"Do friends usually charge each other like this?" Yuria asked. Granted, she didn’t have any friends to speak of for herself, so what would she know? Still, something about this situation didn’t seem quite right.

"They do when they understand that they’ve got to make living somehow. We can’t all be demon slayers like our friend here." Patches quipped.

_Demon slayer?_

Yuria gave Reah a questioning look. _If she’s a demon slayer why’s she helping me? Surely she has more important matters at hand?_

"It’s not exactly something I advertise." Reah answered. She knelt down and took Yuria's arm off her shoulder and let her rest on the floor.

"Alright." she sighed. "Just tell me how much you want so we can get this over with."

"Hmmmmmmm." Patches stroked his chin for a while. Yuria wasn't sure if he was actually putting a lot of thought into his response or if he was just teasing Reah further; her agitated look would hint towards the latter.

"How about you give me one of those big demon souls. You know, the ones that can get rid of those massive fog gates. The one in front of the castle disappeared and I've got this feeling that it was your doing."

"You killed an archdemon?" Yuria asked.

Reah broke into a smile. "Yeah and it was a fun fight too. Not every day you get slice giant manta rays out of the sky." She looked to Patches and her smile fell. "Deal."

"Wait! Don't you need that to get stronger?" Yuria interjected as Reah pulled the soul out of her pack. "I don't want to impose on you anymore then I already have. I can live with these shackles. You should take that soul to the candle maiden."

Reah looked confused. "You haven't imposed on me at all. And I'm going to fight more demons that'll easily make up for this one. This isn't a loss. Trust me."

Before Yuria could argue any further, Reah pushed the soul into Patches hands and he tossed it into his pack. He brought out a set of lockpicks and scooted closer to Yuria. Reah moved even closer until she was practically draped over her, watching intently at his movements. Yuria felt a wave of panic having two people so close to her, but she steadied herself as best she could. It would be over soon. She hoped.

"And there we are!" Patches announced as the final shackle fell to the ground. He put his lockpicks back in his pack and started gathering his things. "Always does my heart good to help out a friend in need. You two be sure to not lose the key next time." He added with a smirk. Before Reah could respond, he turned around and touched the Archstone behind him and he was gone in a flash. With a sigh, Reah slid away from Yuria and pressed her back against the Archstone.

"I'm a bit annoyed with how quickly he got that done. Showoff could of done it in his sleep and he still thought it fit to overcharge me."

"I thought you said it wasn't a problem." Yuria worried.

"It's not. It's just the principle of the thing." Reah trailed off with a yawn and curled herself up closer to the Archstone. Yuria took the moment of silence to examine her wrists. It was jarring to see them free of the shackles. She had full mobility of her arms again, not even having the weight of the chain to hinder her anymore. She looked around the Nexus and, for the first time since she arrived, took the sight in. It looked exactly the same as when she was there last, untouched by time or any of the events out in Boletaria. It was a bit unsettling to see a place so...indifferent to the world outside of it. She thought the place boring when she was first trapped here some years ago, now it just felt eerie. She looked to Reah, who looked like she was about to nod off.

"Thank you." Yuria practically whispered.

"Hmmm?" Reah looked back at her with half-lidded eyes.

"I haven't properly thanked you for everything you've done for me. I don't know how I could begin to repay you."

"You don't need to repay me." Reah smiled.

_Yes, I do._

"The only thing I have that might interest you is my... my witchcraft." Yuria felt dirty even considering it, even more so offering it outloud. It was an evil practice; how could she even think about dragging this woman down to her level like that?

"Witchcraft? I appreciate the offer but I never could get a handle on magic. A sorcerer's apprentice here tried to teach me some simple spells and I couldn't even get a light at the end of the catalyst. I don't think you'll have better luck with me."

Yuria expected Reah to dismiss the offer with disgust and she almost wished she did. Now she couldn't help but press the matter.

"I don't know what else I can offer, though."

"You don't have to offer me anything."

_Yes. I. Do._

Yuria crawled closer to Reah and put her hands on her shoulders, needing to get her attention. "Please. If witchcraft isn't useful to you then tell me what is. What can I give you?"

"I didn't do this because I expected something out of it. You don't have to give me anything."

_Yes! I! Do! This isn't right! You saved my life, I owe something. You **deserve** something. I can't keep taking from you!_

Yuria she felt Reah stiffen and saw her eyes widen.

"Yuria. There are bugs crawling all over you."

Yuria looked down and, sure enough, she could see an abundance of critters crawling around her ragged robes. She had lived in these bug ridden clothes for such a long time that she had completely forgotten about them. She didn't know how to respond to this change in topic.

"I-I know."

"There marching down your arms."

"Y-yes."

"I can see them."

 _So can I_.

"They're crawling towards me."

"I-"

"They're on me."

Yuria released her hands from Reah's shoulders and scooted back. Reah swatted off the bugs that jumped on her until she was sure they were all gone. She got up from her spot and started pacing around, wide awake now.

"Ok.....Ok. You need new clothes. Immediately. Sooner than immediately. You needed them yesterday. Months ago. Years ago."

This was the most unsettled Yuria had ever seen Reah; she hated being the cause of such distress.

"I know a woman out in Boletaria whose sure to have some that'll fit you."

"You've already done more than enough for me. Please, let me repay you."

Reah signed and rubbed her eyes. "You really won't let this go?"

Yuria merely shook her head.

"Fine. Then you can take a stab at teaching me magic. I still don't think we'll get much out of it, but I'll try to learn from you. Deal?"

Yuria still felt like she was leeching off Reah, but it seemed the best compromise she was gonna get.

"Deal."

"Good. Good." Reah took a deep breath and knelt down close to Yuria. "Now, listen." She said gently, sounding a lot calmer now. "You're still in really bad shape but I know if anyone can heal you it's the Maiden in Black; she heals me all the time. I'm gonna set off to get new robes for you while she's taking care of you. Can you manage that?"

Yuria felt a twinge of shame realizing that Reah remembered her previous reaction to them parting. She was like a needy child who couldn't bear to be separated from their parent for even a second; she did not want to be that to Reah. She gave her a nod which earned her a smile.

"Alright. Then all we have to do is find her and you should be feeling nothing but better from here on out."

No sooner had she said that the woman in question could be heard walking up the stairs. It had been some time since Yuria had seen her last but she still looked the same as ever: wearing a dress of bandages and eyes covered in wax.

"Welcome back. To both of you." Evidently the maiden remembered Yuria after all this time; neither her condition nor the length of her absence seemed to faze the maiden at all. "Dost thou seeketh soul power?"

"Not right now. Could you please heal Yuria?"

The maiden waved her hand over Yuria as a soft light glowed around it.

"Yes. But it will take time and I will be unable to grant thee soul power while I care for her."

"That's fine."

_No, it's not._

Reah gathered her things and looked at Yuria. "I'll be back by the time you're up and then you can teach me some spells. I'll see you soon, okay?"

The thought of Reah leaving for real this time scared Yuria as much as last time. But, she promised she'd come back and she hadn't broken any of her promises yet. She owed her her trust. "See...you soon."

Reah gave her a small wave and touched the archstone behind her and just like that she was gone. The maiden knelt in front of Yuria and raised her hand near her head. "Close thine eyes."

Yuria did so and within moments she felt the last bits of energy she had left seep out of her as she fell into quiet darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really worried that Patches was gonna be tough to write but as soon as I started he wouldn't shut up. The Maiden in Black, on the other hand, takes years off my life with each sentence. 
> 
> Yuria kind of surprised me this chapter; I wasn't expecting her to be so invested in repaying Reah but here we are. Also that bit with the bugs in her clothes wasn't just something I made up for gross funsies, her clothes item descriptions explicitly say they're bug infested. Just nasty.
> 
> I'm generally writing the Nexus by ear because I'm still pretty unsure of how time and existence in there works. Do people need to eat, sleep and do everything else necessary for living while they're there in body form or are they just...good? I'm leaning towards the latter but we'll just see.
> 
> Next chapter should be the conclusion of the "fixing up Yuria" arc and then we can move on to other things.


	3. Tea Time

Reah returned to the Nexus exhausted. Rescuing Yuria was tiring enough, then to hike up and down a tower to buy clothes wore her out even more. Despite that, she was content with what she found. She didn't know a thing about Yuria's taste in fashion but she felt she'll appreciate them all the same. 

_Well. I think she'll look good in them._

She looked around for Yuria and the maiden on the stairs where she left them, but found them absent.

_I guess the maiden couldn't heal her somewhere where anyone could bump into her. What's the most "out of the way" place she could go?_

She immediately looked up towards the highest level of the Nexus; no one should bother them up there. After checking each floor upwards, she found the maiden kneeling with Yuria in her lap.

"Welcome back." 

Reah jumped a bit at the greeting. She wasn't trying to sneak up on the Maiden, of course, but for her to be aware of her without even walking close was jarring. 

"Thank you," She answered as she removed her pack and placed it against the wall. She knelt across from the maiden and looked at her progress with Yuria. On the one hand, she looked little different. Her clothes were still dirty and ragged and she still looked under fed. Yet, on the other, her face was less sunken in and nearly all injuries she once noticed were now healed. She was better, but the damage was not completely undone.

"How much longer do you need with her?"

"There's little more that I can do for her. The rest she'll have to heal naturally."

"I see."

Reah jumped again as she felt the maiden place her hand on her shoulder. "Worry not. She will be fine."

"Th-thank you." Reah was never going to get used to how fast and quiet the Maiden could be. She then wondered if she'd been working on Yuria since she left. "Aren't you tired?"

"No more so than you."

"Oh. So you feel great then! Totally awake! No problem at a-" Reah ruined her bravado with a yawn.

Reah couldn't see the maiden's eyes past the wax but with the way she cocked her head and frowned she could _feel_ those eyes judging her.

"I'll get some sleep after I'm sure she's okay." Reah assured.

"Then I shall leave her in thine care. She will wake soon." The maiden gently pushed Yuria into Reah's lap and left them alone.

Reah watched the maiden wander off and leaned against a wall with Yuria in her lap. She felt her curl up and concluded that she would indeed wake up soon. Which was good cause she started to see some bugs crawl on her legs. She swatted them off as soon as she saw them. She couldn't understand how Yuria was so unaffected by their presence on her.

_She must have gotten used to it. No one deserves to go through that._

Reah looked down at her face and made a quiet promise to show her a better life then the one she'd experienced up to now. There wasn't a lot to be happy about in Boletaria, but she was sure there was something better for her to wake up to.  She blinked and found herself dozing off over Yuria. She rubbed her eyes and willed herself to stay awake. Luckily, she started to feel Yuria begin to move in her lap. She gasped as she felt Yuria elbow her in the chest.

_Why is she so sharp?!_

She felt Yuria move again and heard her grunt. 

"Yuria? Are you awake now?"

At last, Yuria opened her eyes and Reah let out a breath she didn't realize that she was holding in. She was alive, she was okay. Yuria covered her eyes and grimaced at the light. After a deep breath she looked up at Reah.

"You came back. I. Wasn't sure you would." She admitted. 

"I promised you that I would." Reah answered. It wasn't until now that she was able to really look at Yuria's eyes. Such a gentle light green that she couldn't stop looking at them. She leaned in closer, restraining herself from touching Yuria's face. "Wow. I feel like I can finally see what you look like."

Yuria wasn't used to someone looking at her so intently, especially not in the appreciative manner that Reah was.

"What...what do I look like?" She didn't know what else to say.

"Well, like an actual human being, for starters." Reah laughed. "I'm so relieved. I was worried you were gonna be stuck injured for the rest of your life. I, actually thought you might never wake up."

"You were...worried about me?"

"Of course I was." 

Yuria wanted to question her further, though she was uncertain what she would even ask. Then she noticed that she could also get a good look at Reah's face as well. She looked tired, dark circles under her sky blue eyes.

_I wonder when last she slept._

She noticed a scar running from the bottom corner of her lip up to a split in her ear. Without thinking she reached up and brushed her fingers along Reah's ear, garnering a gasp.

"I'm sorry!" Yuria retracted her hand immediately. "D-does it hurt?"

"No." Reah answered as she covered her ear. "It's healed by now. J-just don't do that again. Don't really like having my scars touched."

"R-right! Sorry! Sorry!" Yuria wrapped her arms around herself as if to restrain them from wandering further.

"It's okay don't worry. You just surprised me is all." Reah assured as she rubbed her ear. "Actually, now that I think of it, are you okay being in my lap like this?" Reah looked concerned and about ready to dump Yuria on the floor. "I just thought it was better than leaving you on the ground."

"Um." Yuria shifted her position and crawled out of Reah's lap. "You were fine." She couldn't remember the last time she was held and the sensation was an odd, yet not an upsetting one. Even so, she couldn't stay in her arms forever.

Reah got up and swatted away any bugs she found on her legs. She turned towards her pack and began rummaging through it.

"Now that you're up, why don't you try these on? The sooner you get out of those awful clothes the better you'll feel, I promise." She brought out a set of clothes she bought for Yuria and handed them to her.

"R-right here?"

"I can be certain that no one will see you up here. And I'll keep my back turned so you don't have to worry about me either."

_I guess that makes sense._

She took the set of clothes and waited for Reah to turn around. She could already feel the difference in quality just holding them in her hands. She laid them out on the ground to get a better look at them. They looked similar to the robes she already had, only they weren't covered in holes and didn't chafe to the touch. She was neutral towards the idea of new clothes before, but now she actually felt excited to try them on. She peeled off the wrappings around her arms and took some time to look at how the maiden healed them. They weren't completely unmarred, but they were in better shape than they were before she was put to sleep. It was certainly more than she could of hoped for if she waited for them to heal naturally. She slipped her robes off and put the new one on. Feeling the fabric on her hands was one thing, feeling it surrounding her body was quite another; so soft. She tried on the new leggings and boots and they felt just as pleasant as the robes. She hadn't realized just how bad the old clothes were until now. 

"Yuria, can I turn around now?"

"Y-yes." Yuria answered as she put the gloves on. 

Reah turned around and gave Yuria an approving look.

"Looking good. How are you feeling?"

"Better than I have in a long while."

Reah smiled. "Glad to hear it."

Without thinking, Yuria suddenly wrapped her arms around Reah in an embrace, startling her. She stumbled back until she realized what Yuria was doing and cautiously hugged her back. Yuria squeezed tighter and Reah did so in kind. They held each other for a while without saying a word until Yuria finally let Reah go. 

"What was that about?" Reah asked with a chuckle.

"I...thank you..for everything." Yuria responded awkwardly, not sure of what else to say. 

"You don't need to thank me, I'm happy to see you better. What do you plan to do now?"

_Now?_

Yuria had resigned herself to dying in the tower; she had abandoned any hope of escaping long ago. What was she going to do now?

"I don't...I don't know. I never expected to return here."

"You've been in the Nexus before?"

Yuria nodded, hoping Reah wouldn't press further than that. She didn't understand why she was being so kind to her, but she wasn't about to ruin that with talk of her past. The unpleasant memory unfortunately reminded her of her promise to Reah. Well, she didn't promise so much as beg. She had wanted to repay Reah so badly, and witchcraft was the only thing of value she could offer. But, was this really a good idea? Should she really drag her down like this?

_What kind of gratitude is that?_

"Well, you don't need to decide on anything now. You can just can just relax for a while."

"Relax?"

"I just mean you don't have to decide this minute. You've gone through a lot and should get your bearings."

"What will _you_ do?" Yuria needed to know. Whatever Reah planned on doing, she wanted to be of use to her.

Reah seemed a bit surprised by the abrupt shift in focus, but answered. "Fighting more demons, of course. That's all my life is at this point."

"What was your life before?"

Reah chuckled. "Am I this interesting?"

"No! I mean, yes? I'm sorry, I just-"

Reah laughed. "It's fine, I'm happy to share a bit. Why don't you come along with me and I'll drop some things off with Thomas."

Yuria felt a little nervous over seeing more people, but she supposed she'd have to talk to them eventually; better to have Reah there in the beginning. There was just one thing she wanted to take care of first.

"Um. What should I do with those?"

She pointed to her pile of bug ridden clothes. It didn't feel right to just leave them there. 

Reah grimaced. "They're beyond fixing. You should get rid of them somehow. Maybe you can burn them."

That sounded a tad extreme but Yuria found herself liking the idea. Just looking at the discarded clothes brought up memories of the cold cell and she wanted nothing more than to see these last vestiges swept off the face of the earth. She walked up to the dirty pile and conjured a flame and focused on the pile. She barely noticed Reah walk up behind her.

"I don't think that's gonna be enough to--"

The flame then erupted into a spray that engulfed every thread and insect in the pile. The burst was so sudden that Reah had jumped back and covered her face with her arm. Again, Yuria didn't seem to notice.

"Damn. Shows what I know about magic."

Yuria kept watching the clothing burn, unable to look away.

"Hey?" Reah tried to get her attention but she wasn't responding. "Yuria?" She was wary of touching her again; she still felt guilty over her reaction the last time. She eventually decided to just put herself in between Yuria and the fire. "Hey!"

Yuria blinked and looked up at Reah's concerned face. "Oh. Sorry. I'm not sure what came over me."

Reah chanced walking a little closer and said "These clothes are going to burn for a while. Why don't you follow me to Thomas? I need to drop off some things with him and then we can clean up the ashes later?"

Yuria nodded and followed Reah to the first of many flights of stairs to the bottom of the Nexus.

"Do you need any help?" Reah asked, offering her hand.

Yuria gladly took it as they walked their way down. 

-

"There you are! I was worried sick over you!" Thomas said as he waved over Reah and Yuria as they walked near him.

"I swear you say that every time I come back." Reah answered as she slung her pack off her back and started emptying it.

"And I mean it every time! It's so dangerous out there. It's amazing that you come back at all."

Before she could answer him, Thomas turned to Yuria, who was plucking at a loose thread she found on her robe.

"My. You're looking so much better. I didn't even recognize you at first." 

"I...thank you." Yuria responded shyly. 

"How are you feeling?" Thomas asked gently. Reah smiled; Thomas was a sweetheart and if there was anyone that might make Yuria feel comfortable, it would be him.

"I feel better." Yuria responded quietly. She kept fidgeting with her robe and then started looking at the assortment of equipment and miscellaneous items surrounding Thomas.

"Why? W-what is all this?"

"Ah, well. It's the least I can do to offer my assistance to brave demon slayers like the one right here." Thomas smiled warmly towards Reah who shook her head with a small smile of her own. "I'm no good in a fight, I'm afraid, but I can keep an eye on any excess baggage these fine warriors carry."

"He means that he looks after all the junk I can't bother to throw away." Reah chuckled as she pulled out varied, curious stones from her pack. "Really, though, can't tell you how many rocks I've left with him on the off chance that I might use them. If anything, he enables my pack rat habits and has to deal with the consequences."

"It's no trouble. I've come to look forward to the next interesting item you bring in."

"At least I stopped dragging armour to you." Reah said as she pulled the last rock from her pack. She looked up at Yuria who was still fidgeting with her robe and looking all the items surrounding them.

"How much of this is yours?" She asked.

Reah looked slightly embarrassed and responded: "A-all of it actually." She started to blush as Yuria gave her an incredulous look. "I-it's not like he's giving me special treatment or anything. It's just that I'm the only demon slayer here right now. This...this is why I prefer Thomas to just say that he keeps watch over every demon slayer's stuff. " She muttered.

Yuria stifled a giggle but her amusement was apparent, which only made Reah get redder.

"May I look?" This seemed like a good opportunity to learn more about Reah.

"At my collection of junk? Uh, sure." Reah allowed even though she still seemed embarrassed.

Yuria looked at the assorted "junk" and admired how Thomas managed to arrange them in some semblance of order. The armour was next to the weapons and even the various stones were sorted. One thing that stood out to her was a beat up kettle, Thomas clearly wasn't sure where this item belonged, so he settled on putting in a miscellaneous mess. She picked it up and inspected it; it had some dents but looked like it could still hold water.

"Oh man. I haven't used that in ages; didn't even remember I had it. I think I have some tea jars and cups laying around too. I just haven't bothered to set up a fire here."

"Do you want one?" Yuria asked. It would be small, but it would be a start when it came to repayment.

"A....fire? Like....in general?"

Yuria chuckled. "I mean I could easily make a fire for you if you'd like some tea."

"That's not a bad idea. Why do you say it like it would just be for me? Don't you want some too?" Reah asked, crossing her arms as she cocked her head.

"Uh. Well." Yuria began to fidget with the kettle. "If you w-want to share. Then y-yes." Yuria answered. Then she looked around at the mess of items and Thomas. "D-do you want it here? Right now?" Yuria continued to fiddle with the kettle, and kept eyes lowered.

_I don't think she wants to be here anymore._

The lower level of the Nexus wasn't particularly crowded, but it was evidently pushing her limits. She noticed Thomas out of the corner of her eye smiling and shooing her away.

"Let's take it up to the top level." Reah smiled as the tension seemed to leave Yuria's shoulders. She walked over and grabbed a jar of tea along with a couple of cups. "Do you need anything else?" 

"Just something to hang the kettle on." Yuria answered. Reah picked up a halberd from the bristling array of arms and waved goodbye to Thomas, Yuria followed suit, waving shyly as they made their way back up to the top level. As they found their original spot, Reah took out her waterskin, poured it into the kettle, and then hung it onto her halberd.

"Ok. So what do you need me to do?"

"Just hold on to the halberd and I'll start a fire."

"Without kindling?" Reah asked dubiously.

"It's not necessary."

"I know you don't need one to start a fire, but what about sustaining it?"

"T-trust me. Are you ready?"

Reah nodded. Yuria conjured a fireball in her hands and held it under the kettle.

"That doesn't hurt?!"

Yuria smiled as she looked at the flame cupped in her hand and shook her head. "No. If you know what you're doing your magic should never harm you."

"Wow. Now I'm kinda excited to learn magic from you."

Yuria flinched. This was the first time Reah had mentioned anything about magic and had assumed, or perhaps hoped, that she had forgotten her promise.

"Abou-About that. I may have been a bit hasty in promising you that."

"A little? You wouldn't get off me until I told you yes." Reah chuckled.

"I... I know" Yuria averted her gaze. "But, now that I think about it, it would be best if I didn't teach you anything."

_In fact, it would be **best** if you had nothing to do with me._

Reah raised her eyebrow in confusion. "How come?"

The kettle started whistling and Yuria put out her fireball. "Witchcraft is inherently evil, and learning them from and even associating with me will arouse suspicions. Rumors that are unworthy of one such as you."

"I don't care what others think of me."

_I do though._

"You should. I don't want you to be ostracized because of me. You shouldn't have to go through that."

Reah looked downward. "Perhaps you shouldn't assume that I don't know what that feels like," she said quietly.

Yuria stared back at her. "What?"

Reah sighed. "I'd rather not get into it. Will you just trust me that I want to learn from you? Unless you just don't want to anymore."

"No! It would be an honor to teach you. It's just...you're sure about this?"

"Absolutely." 

"V-very well. Th-thank you." Yuria gave a small bow.

"Um." Reah responded uncomfortably. "That's not necessary. Here, pick a cup and I'll give you some tea. I think we both could use some right now."

Yuria picked the cup closest to her and Reah sprinkled some tea and poured the boiling water in.

"Hope you don't have a strong preference, this is all I have left from home."

"Home?"

"Yeah. It feels like it's been ages since I've been back." Reah laid down near the wall and crossed her arms behind her head. She let out a sigh. "Maybe it _has_ been ages. I've lost all sense of time since I've been in Boletaria."

Yuria inched closer to Reah and sat down near her head so she could look down at her face. "I suspected you came from outside. Do...do you miss it?"

"My home?" Reah asked. She glanced away from Yuria and looked at her cup of tea. After a moment of silence she looked back up and finally answered: "There are some people I miss, others I don't."

"Do you wish to go back?"

"I...I do. It's just...going to be complicated if I do." Reah admitted.

"Do you not want to talk about this too?" Yuria asked, hoping Reah would share a bit more. Unfortunately, Reah shook her head.

"No. I don't. Maybe later, though. How about you?" She suddenly asked. "Is Boletaria your home?"

Yuria began turning her cup of tea around in her hands as she thought about what to say. "I was not born here, no. But I don’t have any attachment to where I was either."

"None at all?"

Yuria shook her head.

"I see." Reah rolled over to take a sip from her a tea. "It's about ready now. The leaves are old so I'm afraid the tea is going to be a bit weak. But it should still taste nice."

Yuria took a sip from her cup and smiled. "It's still sweet!"

Reah smiled as Yuria continued to sip away at the tea; she looked happier. Reah leaned against the wall next to her and sipped at her own tea as well.

"By the way, how do the new clothes fit? I had to guess on the sizing."

"They fit just fine. Thank you for getting them." Yuria suddenly started to look nervous. "Did...did they cost a lot of money?"

"You worry too much you know that?" Reah laughed.

"I..." Yuria decided to take a sip of tea rather than answer.

"Listen. I was happy to do it for you. There's actually a couple extra sets in my pack that I can give you later."

Yuria wasn't sure how to respond to Reah's kindness, so she mumbled a "thank you" and continued to sip her tea. Reah did so in kind and they continued doing so in silence. Considering how hectic things had been up to this point, sitting with Reah and drinking tea together was relaxing and she wanted nothing more then to stay in this moment for as long as she could. She looked at Reah and noticed her nodding off.

"When have you last slept?"

"Um. It's been a couple days." Reah responded shyly. "I was planning on learning a magic lesson from you when I got back, but now I don't want to get up." She chuckled.

"You should sleep."

"Yeah. Can't argue there. But I'm a bit worried about you."

"Me?"

"You haven't taken kindly to me leaving you by yourself."

"I. I know." Yuria admitted. "And I know you can't always be with me, shouldn't always be with me. I just. I don't know where to go from here." she practically whispered.

"Can't you go back to whatever you were doing when you first came to Boletaria?"

**_No._ **

Yuria shook her head. She looked at Reah and could see her struggling to stay awake, despite her concern. She's already asked for so much from her, she felt guilty over taking her sleep away from her now. She put her hand on Reah's shoulder, surprising her.

"I. I thank you for worrying over me. But you need to sleep. I'll keep myself busy while you're gone. I promise."

Reah put her hand on Yuria's and smiled. "Okay. I believe you. I'll look for you after I wake up and we can start a lesson. Sound good?"  
Yuria smiled back and nodded. Reah got to her feet and took her pack. "I'll be down just a few flights, I'll see you soon."

"See you soon." Yuria answered. Reah walked down the stairs, leaving her, for the first time, completely alone.

 


End file.
